10 Tips for Outdoor Child Portraits

How to get the best outdoor photos of your children!

The great outdoors is definitely my favorite place to photograph children: you can get beautiful backgrounds, there is plenty of natural light, and your kids are generally happier when they are in a fun place like the beach or a park.

Follow these ten tips and tricks to get memorable photographs of your little ones outdoors.

1. Look for clouds

Believe it or not, days with clear skies and lots of sunshine are not your best bet. This is because direct sunlight creates a harsh light, causing skin to bleach out, eyes to squint, and shadows to appear (raccoon eyes!). Opt for cloudy or overcast days instead.

2. Think time of day.

Aim to take your photographs early morning or late in the evening if your child’s schedule will allow, as you will get a much softer light and more control over shadows. A hour before or after sunrise is best as the light is warm and forgiving.

3. Trees and buildings are your friends.

If you have to take photos on a sunny day, your best bet is to try to find a shady area in which to place your subject, for example: under a tree, in the shadow caused by a building, even under an umbrella if you are at the beach. Have them face into the light source to get the best light. (If using a tree, watch out for dappling, where you get patches of light shining through the trees — this is impossible to edit out later!) This should allow them to be well-lit, but without the problems direct sunlight can cause.

4. Look for a sparkle in his/her eye.

Try to look for the light in your child’s eyes — these are called catchlights, and help make the eyes sparkle and shine. Watch that your subject isn’t looking directly into the light source though, our you will find them squinting at you instead — not a good look!

5. Pay close attention to your background.

Make sure there are no trashcans, power lines, or cars that might detract attention away from your main subject.

6. Blur the background.

In order to really set the focus on your child, it’s best if you can try to blur the background, so use a low aperture number (start off at around F5.6) and stand your subject as far away from the background as you can.

7. Use high shutter speed.

Your child is bound to more mobile when they are outdoors, so it’s also important to make sure that you are using a high shutter speed so you don’t get any motion blur when your child is running around.

8. Aim for some contrast.

Try to dress your child in clothes that don’t blend in with the background — for example, a green t-shirt against green grass. A little contrast is good.

9. Have fun!

Outdoor portraits are a great excuse to get some candid pictures of your kids at play, so take them somewhere fun like the park or the beach, or even just let them out to play in their backyard. You can ask them to pose for the camera first, then when they have had enough, let them loose and photograph them as they play. These “natural” shots often turn out to be my favorites.

10. You can’t take too many shots.

Finally, always take lots of pictures! You will, of course, end up with quite a few shots that are useless, but your hit-rate will be much higher. Delete the photos you don’t want, leaving you with just the gems from your outdoor photo shoot!

The great outdoors is definitely my favorite place to photograph children: you can get beautiful backgrounds, there is plenty of natural light, and your kids are generally happier when they are in a fun place like the beach or a park.

Follow these ten tips and tricks to get memorable photographs of your little ones outdoors.

1. Look for clouds

Believe it or not, days with clear skies and lots of sunshine are not your best bet. This is because direct sunlight creates a harsh light, causing skin to bleach out, eyes to squint, and shadows to appear (raccoon eyes!). Opt for cloudy or overcast days instead.

2. Think time of day.

Aim to take your photographs early morning or late in the evening if your child’s schedule will allow, as you will get a much softer light and more control over shadows. A hour before or after sunrise is best as the light is warm and forgiving.